The manufacturing of modern apparatuses, e.g. mobile terminals etc., requires permanent and/or temporary programming of memory components with certain information. Such information may comprise firmware, operating system, application software or multimedia content, for example. The multimedia content may further comprise a content set, bundled content or content selected by the user, for example.
Software may be downloaded to an apparatus during manufacturing, e.g. flashing is performed by using a mechanism that requires preliminary flashing algorithms to be present on the apparatus, a physical connection and a connected power supply. The software download into products is conventionally performed in a programming station at the end of the manufacturing line after all components have been placed in the products. The software can also be re-programmed in later phases. There exist also solutions where software is programmed onto memory chips in separate programming stations before a component is placed on the printed wiring board (PWB).
The apparatus may be provisioned to a number of different variants, depending on the used firmware and configuration of the apparatus. In some cases a variant of the apparatus may only differ in the type of software that controls the apparatus.
In the case of electronic apparatuses, for example, the physical design of the apparatus may be the same for all variants of a product, but some of the basic control features may operate differently. Typically, each customer of the manufacturer, typically a service provider, a retailer, an operator or a cloud, may require a different variant type having different features.
Reworking of variants has become a commonplace practice in the manufacture of large-volume products, such as mobile apparatuses. Because of inaccurate sales forecasts, large numbers of one or more variants may be stored in a distribution center as increased inventory. Existing mobile apparatuses created of one variant type may then need to be converted quickly to a variant of another type for use by another service provider.
However, all these conventional procedures entail certain disadvantages. The programming step can only be performed at a pre-defined time in the manufacturing process, which also applies to any kind of testing/debugging. In addition, the conventional approach requires that direct, i.e. wired connections are made, requiring special equipment, slowing down the manufacturing cycle due to the time required for establishing the contact. Furthermore no adaptations can be performed after the finished product is packaged, e.g. updating the firmware or like.
Conventionally, the programming step for different variants can only be performed at a pre-defined time in the manufacturing process. In addition, the conventional approach requires that direct, i.e. wired connections are made, requiring special equipment, slowing down the manufacturing cycle due to the time required for establishing the contact. Furthermore no adaptations can be performed after the finished product is packaged, e.g. updating the firmware or like.